Applicant claims the foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. 119 of Canadian Patent Application No. 2,130,410 filed Aug. 18, 1994, which is incorporated by reference into this application.
This invention relates to a receptacle jack for accepting a plug and, in particular, a receptacle jack for use in an application interface card such as is used in laptop, notebook and palmtop computers.
The transmission of data by telephone or network lines is a continuously expanding field supported by vast numbers of public and private networks and databases. The data transmitted over telephone and network lines is communicated to and from a computer through suitable interface means such as modems or network adapter units. Physical and electrical connection is provided between the line and the interface by connectors such as the RJ-type or the 8-pin modular plugs, which are accepted by suitable receptacle jacks. The type of plug encountered depends on the form of communication line which is attached to the plug.
The development of reduced size notebook, laptop and palmtop computers has required the concurrent development of modems and network adapters of suitable size to fit within the housings of these computers.
As a result, PCMCIA interface application cards have been developed to house the required interface circuitry. These cards are inserted into slots provided in the computer housing and provide an interface between the external communication line and the computer. However, since the standard thicknesses of the interface cards are 3.3 mm (Type I) or 5 mm (Type II), and the standard interconnect plug thicknesses range between 8 and 12 mm, standard internal connection of the plug of the line directly to the card is not possible.
An external Data Access Arrangement (DAA) is available which houses a standard receptacle jack. The DAA attaches to the interface card when the card is in position in a computer slot and extends out to accept a plug. However, such a solution requires that a DAA be carried along with the computer whenever connection to network or telephone lines is anticipated.
Partial receptacle jacks which are mounted on an interface card, or on a platform within the card, are available and avoid the use of DAA's. The partial receptacle requires that the plug be inserted such that a portion of the plug and the attached line extend out generally perpendicularly from the plane of the card face. Thus, the use of partial jacks can interfere with the cable systems of secondary cards in adjacent slots.
It would therefore be an advancement in the art to develop a receptacle jack which is able to be housed in reduced spaces.
It would be a further advancement in the art to provide an interface application card that is not reliant on external devices for connection to connector plugs.
A further advancement in the art would be to provide a 3.3 mm or 5 mm PCMCIA application interface card that is capable of direct interconnect with a connector plug.
A still further advancement would be to provide an interface card having a receptacle jack that does not interfere with cards in adjacent slots.